Most MPs believe collaboration with oil and gas is needed for energy transition

A survey, commissioned by OEUK and carried out by YouGov, found that nearly three-quarters of MPs believe the UK’s net zero goals can only be achieved through collaboration with the oil and gas sector.

The research commissioned by trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) found that 73% of parliament members held the belief while 45% of politicians surveyed said the UK has the people and skills needed to deliver cleaner energy sources through the development of technologies including wind, solar, hydrogen, and carbon capture.

Professor Nick Schofield from the University of Aberdeen’s Department of Geology and Geophysics commented: “It is acknowledged that oil and gas will play a major role in the energy mix of the UK and globally to 2050 and beyond, forming an essential part of a sustainable and just transition.

“However, this message is uncomfortable for many to reconcile.”

The MPs questioned did voice concern regarding the future of the energy section however, 55% of respondents said that the declining number of applications for energy-related higher education courses is a concern, with 18-24-year-olds making up 12% of the total workforce.

As a result of this, 34% of officials believe that the way the media and politicians talk about the transition to wind, solar, hydrogen and carbon capture deters young people in the UK from working or training in the energy industry.

The Scottish Green Party was asked to comment on these beliefs.

Recently, Highland SNP Fergus Ewing warned that ditching all oil and gas projects in the north-east would be “economic masochism” since tens of thousands of workers still rely on the sector.

© Supplied by OEUK

OEUK Workforce and Skills manager Alix Thom said: “We have the necessary knowledge and expertise, which we have honed over decades of work in the North Sea, and these skills will be needed to overcome the inevitable challenges that will come as we expand into cleaner technologies.

“In fact, many of our members are already developing cleaner energy projects, playing an important role in the expansion to wind, hydrogen and carbon capture.

“It is vital that we cultivate a strong national talent pipeline, which will enable the younger generation to contribute towards the production of wind, hydrogen, carbon capture, usage and storage, as well as oil and gas that will be required in the years to come.

“To achieve this shift, we need support from politicians from all parties to highlight the importance and benefits of a career in energy.”

Prof. Schofield added: “The nuances in skillsets within the energy industry are often not understood well by government, politicians, or environmental groups.

“For example, the same geoscientists and engineers which are working hard in industry to ensure the UK’s indigenous supply of oil and gas and future energy security, are the very same who are applying their skills to getting the UK’s first CCUS projects off the ground. They are also the same people that are needed for hydrogen and gas storage.

“However, the increased negativity shown towards those areas of the energy industry associated with oil and gas is already starting to lead to a skills crisis in the UK.

“It is becoming harder to show young people that the energy industry is a viable and fulfilling future career.”